A Typology of Caregiving Situations and Service Use in Family Carers of Older People in Six European Countries

This paper presents the EUROFAMCARE study findings, examining a typology of care situations for family carers of older people, and the interplay of carers with social and health services. Despite the complexity of family caregiving situations across Europe, our analyses determined the existence of seven “caregiving situations,” varying on a range of critical indicators. Our study also describes the availability and use of different support services for carers and care receivers, and carers’ preferences for the characteristics of support services. Our findings have relevance for policy initiatives in Europe, where limited resources need to be more equitably distributed and services should be targeted to caregiving situations reflecting the greatest need, and organized to reflect the preferences of family carers.

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The prevalence of potentially abusive behaviours in family caregiving: findings from a national survey of family carers of older people

Age and Ageing ◽

10.1093/ageing/afw085 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 45 (5) ◽

pp. 703-706 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Attracta Lafferty ◽

Gerard Fealy ◽

Carmel Downes ◽

Jonathan Drennan

Keyword(s):

Older People ◽

National Survey ◽

Family Caregiving ◽

Family Carers

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Seniors at Risk: The Association between the Six-Month Use of Publicly Funded Home Support Services and Quality of Life and Use of Health Services for Older People

Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement ◽

10.3138/cja.27.2.207 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 27 (2) ◽

pp. 207-224 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

M. Markle-Reid ◽

G. Browne ◽

R. Weir ◽

A. Gafni ◽

J. Roberts ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Health Services ◽

Older People ◽

Support Services ◽

Publicly Funded ◽

Home Support ◽

Soins De Santé ◽

Pour Cent ◽

Use Of Health Services

RÉSUMÉLa présente étude évalue les caractéristiques de base et les changements dans l'état de santé et le coût des services de soins de santé utilisés en association avec les services de soutien à domicile subventionnés par l'État. l'analyse comprend 122 personnes de ≥75ans admissibles aux services de soutien à domicile. Au cours d’une période de six mois, un tiers des personnes faisant partie de l'échantillon ont utilisé des services de soutien à domicile pendant ≥1 heure par semaine. Le taux de dépression et de déficience cognitive, le degré réduit de fonctionnement physique et émotionnel, et une capacité d’adaptation moins efficace étaient plus élevés chez ces aînés que chez ceux qui utilisaient moins de services. La déficience cognitive a expliqué 17 pour cent de la variation dans l'utilisation des services de soutien à domicile. Pour la période de six mois, l'utilisation de services de soutien à domicile pendant ≥1 heure par semaine par des aînés ayant des besoins plus importants était associée à un coût plus faible d’utilisation pour les services de soins de santé et à un niveau d’amélioration plus faible de l'état de santé. Ces résultats suggèrent qu’il faut accélérer la recherche visant à déterminer des méthodes plus efficaces pour la prestation des services de soutien à domicile à ces personnes afin d’améliorer leur état de santé à l'aide des ressources disponibles.

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Health service use in the older person with complex health needs

Australian Health Review ◽

10.1071/ah16286 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 43 (1) ◽

pp. 62 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Mark Bartlett ◽

Joanna Wang ◽

Liz Hay ◽

Glen Pang

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

Health Services ◽

Older People ◽

Integrated Care ◽

Service Use ◽

Comparison Group ◽

Health Needs ◽

Care Policy ◽

Complex Needs ◽

Policy And Strategy

Objective Effective health care for older people with complex health needs requires a diverse range of healthcare professionals working together. The Building Partnerships Framework of the New South Wales Agency for Clinical Innovation seeks to promote collaboration and integration among service providers. The aim of the present study was to inform implementation and evaluation of the Framework. Methods Data from the 45 and Up Study was linked with deaths and service data from hospitalisations and the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS). Participants with a hospitalisation for conditions representing ‘geriatric syndrome’ were allocated to a complex needs group; the remainder were allocated to a comparison group. Hospital admissions and MBS services use were modelled using log-linear Poisson regression. Results Multivariate analysis showed that the rate of hospitalisation in the 2 years following index admission for the complex needs group was 18% (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.12–1.24) greater than the comparison group and specialist physician attendance was 13% (95% CI 1.06 – 1.21) greater. The rate of general practitioner (GP) attendances was 2% (95% CI 0.97–1.07) greater in the complex needs group, but this was not statistically significant. Discussion The greater rates of hospitalisation and specialist service use, the absence of a similar finding for GP services and the prominence of the role of primary care in service integration literature, policy and strategy underscore the importance of careful planning, consultation and inclusiveness in the development and implementation of integrated care policy. What is known about the topic? Older people with complex health needs are significant consumers of primary and secondary health services and benefit from well-planned and coordinated care. What does this paper add? The findings presented here indicate that although hospitals and specialist physicians provide a significantly greater volume of services to people with complex health needs, GPs do not. Within the limitations of the present study, these findings can contribute to integrated care policy and strategy development and implementation. What are the implications for practitioners? Given the prominence of primary care in service integration literature, policy and strategy and the findings of the present study with regard to the relative level of GP involvement in the management of people with complex needs, careful policy implementation will be required to ensure GPs are able to contribute significantly to coordinated cooperation between health services.

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Work restrictions experienced by midlife family care-givers of older people: evidence from six European countries

Ageing and Society ◽

10.1017/s0144686x12000967 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 34 (2) ◽

pp. 209-231 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

ANDREA PRINCIPI ◽

GIOVANNI LAMURA ◽

CRISTINA SIROLLA ◽

LIZ MESTHENEOS ◽

BARBARA BIEŃ ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United Kingdom ◽

Older People ◽

Family Care ◽

Working Hours ◽

European Countries ◽

Welfare Regimes ◽

Family Carers ◽

Care Givers ◽

The United Kingdom ◽

Care Giving

ABSTRACTThis paper examines differences in work restrictions of midlife family carers of older people in terms of prevalence, gender and explanatory variables, in six European countries: Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom. A sample of 2,897 carers aged 45–64 was extracted from the EUROFAMCARE (Services for Supporting Family Carers of Older People in Europe: Characteristics, Coverage and Usage) European project database, in order to analyse four possible work restrictions experienced in connection with the activity of care-giving: the reduction of working hours; giving up working; difficulties in career developments and forced occasional work. The results show that work restrictions are experienced differently between countries especially by women: they are reported to a higher degree in the United Kingdom, Germany and Greece, less so in Italy, and seldom in Poland and Sweden. Gender differences within countries are not so marked. Country differences are explained in the light of the different welfare regimes characterising the countries under investigation, in order to elucidate how policy makers may act to improve working carers' conditions through appropriate policies.

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A Study on Supportive Policy for Older People with Dementia and Family Carers in the Long-Term Care Insurance System

Korea Academy of Care Management ◽

10.22589/kaocm.2018.29.159 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 159-180

Author(s):

Mi Kyeong Cho

Keyword(s):

Older People ◽

Long Term Care ◽

Family Carers ◽

Term Care ◽

Insurance System ◽

People With Dementia ◽

Long Term Care Insurance

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Service innovations

Psychiatric Bulletin ◽

10.1017/s0955603600003007 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 27 (09) ◽

pp. 346-348

Author(s):

Chris Simpson ◽

Prasanna De Silva

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Services ◽

Health Services ◽

Older People ◽

High Quality ◽

The Uk ◽

Multi Disciplinary Team

The increase in older people in the UK will increase the need for mental health services to run efficient, high-quality services. Multi-disciplinary team assessments, although not new, provide a method of increasing the capacity to see referrals. Two similar systems of multi-disciplinary team assessments from North Yorkshire are reported with evidence of improvement in quality.

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Higher Rates of Untreated Distress in Older Versus Younger Adults With Indolent Lymphoma

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1510 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 466-466

Author(s):

Kelly Trevino ◽

Peter Martin ◽

John Leonard

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Mental Health Service ◽

Mental Health Services ◽

Health Service ◽

Health Services ◽

Service Use ◽

Mental Health Service Use ◽

Health Service Use ◽

Younger Adults

Abstract Indolent lymphomas are incurable but slow-growing cancers, resulting in a large number of older adults living with these diseases. Patients typically live with their illness for years with the knowledge that disease progression is likely. Yet, little is known about psychological distress in this population. This study examined rates of and the relationship between distress and mental health service use in older and younger adults with indolent lymphomas. Adult patients diagnosed with an indolent lymphoma (e.g., follicular lymphoma, marginal zone lymphoma) within the past six months completed self-report surveys of distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; HADS) and mental health service use since the cancer diagnosis (yes/no). Descriptive statistics, t-tests, and chi-square analyses were used to examine study questions. The sample (n=84) included 35 patients 65 years or older. Across the entire sample, 21.4% screened positive for distress on the HADS; 58.8% of these patients did not receive mental health services. Older adults reported lower distress levels than younger adults (17.1% v. 24.5%; p=.038). Among younger adults, 50% of distressed patients received mental health services; only 20% of distressed older adults received mental health services. Distress was associated with mental health service use in younger adults (p=.004) but not in older adults (p=.17). Older adults with indolent lymphomas have higher levels of untreated distress than younger adults. Research on the mechanisms underlying these age differences (e.g., stigma toward mental health services, ageism) would inform interventions to increase rates of mental health service use and reduce care disparities due to age.

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The role and contribution of family carers accompanying community‐living older people with cognitive impairment to the emergency department: An interview study

Journal of Clinical Nursing ◽

10.1111/jocn.15954 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Margaret Fry ◽

Rosalind Elliott ◽

Sandra Murphy ◽

Kate Curtis

Keyword(s):

Emergency Department ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Older People ◽

Interview Study ◽

Community Living ◽

Family Carers

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The importance of addressing ageism in Swedish healthcare

Nordic Journal of Nursing Research ◽

10.1177/2057158520929348 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 40 (3) ◽

pp. 113-115

Author(s):

Katarina Sjögren Forss

Keyword(s):

Older People ◽

Health Inequalities ◽

European Countries ◽

Or Groups ◽

Significant Class ◽

Care For Older People

Ageism is discrimination against individuals or groups based on their age. In the Swedish healthcare context, the term is uncommon, despite the fact that older people are a significant class of users. One of every five individuals in Sweden is 65 years of age or older, and the proportion of older people in the population is rising. Therefore, ageism in healthcare warrants more awareness and focus. In three recent articles that we have published relating to nutritional, depression and continence care for older people, we found indications of ageism even though we did not aim to study it. There is a need to identify the manifestations of ageism and label them, and to become alert to both the visible and invisible expressions of ageism. This will help in the development of interventions and policies to eliminate ageism in healthcare. With health inequalities growing and seemingly becoming the norm rather than the exception in Sweden and other European countries, it has become imperative to address and eliminate health inequalities through a range of initiatives and mechanisms. Fighting ageism in different settings must be a part of this larger goal.

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